Where You Belong
by Kailalovesgreys
Summary: "It's not where you come from it's where you belong" Kali Shepard finds her way home after 12 years of being raised by her birth mother. Addison and Derek have a chance to have their family back. But the stakes are high.
1. Chapter 1

**KALI**

_ My mother let's go of me and I run. My whole life she's lied to me and made me believe Matthew was my father, He wasn't. Derek was. Derek Shepard. The name sounds so perfect as it rolls of my tongue when I ask the nurse where I can find him. _

_ "Surgical floor is floor five. The elevators that way." She points clearly annoyed. I hurry to elevator. If I couldn't find him then I had to find his wife. My stepmom. Even though my mother had said Addison was the reason my father gave me up, I couldn't go off that. After all my whole life I had been lied too by my 'mother.' The elevator doors open. _

_ "Excuse me?" I ask a short African American woman. She turns. "I'm sorry to bother you but I'm looking for Dr. Shepard."_

_ "Which one honey?" The lady asks. _

_ "Either." I say. The lady looks confused. _

_ "Derek is in surgery but Addison's office is at the end of that hall." She says. I smile and thank her. I was suddenly scared to death. I was about to find out all the answers._

**_ ADDISON_**

_ Kali was only a year old when Derek and I got married. We had met not long after Gigi had told him she was having his baby. Although at first I was skeptical, the minute I saw Kali I was in love. Gigi would drop Kali off for days, weeks, and as of now months. She didn't love Kali the way I did. Kali didn't even remember her. She'd been gone for six months without a trace. When we'd gone on our honeymoon Derek's sister had watched Kali. It didn't matter to me, I was Kali's mommy. Kali didn't remember Gigi. At this point, I just needed the adoption papers. I wanted to be her mother legally._

_ It was late on a Friday; I had just put Kali to sleep. Derek was on the phone yelling._

_ "She doesn't know you!" He shouts. "You can't just come into her life and take her!" My heart stops. No._

_ "Derek." I manage to squeak. He opens his arms to me. I listen in on the conversation._

_ "I'll be there at noon, you can't keep her from me. I'll have her back by five." Gigi says. She hangs up. My heart is breaking._

_ "We can't let her take Kali!" I exclaim. Derek looks at me sadly. She has as much legal rights as we do. I begin to sob._

_ I pack Kali a bag. She had no idea what was happening. She was just an innocent child. Little did she know her life was about to change forever._

_ "Mama pay?" She asks taking my hand. I smile and follow her to play. I tell myself it will be okay, That Gigi will have her home and she'll agree to give up rights to my baby. I watch the clock like it's a bomb about to go off. Gigi was married. Derek had been a one night affair. I was always so afraid of what her life was like with them. Kali was just a little girl. She had three teenage sisters that lived with her 'mother.'_

_ "Kali!" Gigi calls as she enters the house. Kali grips me tightly. Gigi attempts to take her. Kali cries. This was going to be harder than I had thought._

_ "Mama!" She screams. I hug her tightly._

_ "Shh baby it's going to be alright. You're going to go with your other mama for a little while. But you'll be home soon and we'll have an extra bedtime story tonight Kai okay?" I bribe, it felt so wrong. Derek enters. He keeps a straight face as he helps me remove Kali's arms from my neck. Kali cries the whole time Gigi takes her to the car. She cries as they pull away. When they're out of sight I too begin to let the tears fall._

_ Five turns into five thirty. Five thirty turns into six. Six turns to seven. Before we know it it's been a year. Then two. Then ten. Our marriage had fallen apart for a while. It was a long road getting it back. We had lost our baby. Derek had lost hope. And for a while I'd lost Derek._


	2. Chapter 2

** KALI**

_Timidly I knock on the door. A voice calls for me to come in. I almost turn and run. But instead I open the door, The lady at the desk is beautiful. She had long red hair and blue/green eyes. I know right away that what my mother told me couldn't be true._

_ "Hello." I muster. "Are you Addison Shepard?"_

_ "Yes I am." She says turning. She studies me carefully. I can tell she feels a connection. "Do I know you?"_

_ "Your husband, Derek Shepard, he…he's my father." I explain speaking rather quickly. It feels so good to say it aloud. _

_ "Oh my God." Addison says tearfully. "Oh my….. Kali!" _

_ "Kaila." I correct. "At least that's what I'm told." Addison stands knocking things over. Not that she seems to care. She pulls me into the tightest most loving hug I've ever had. She's crying into my hair._

_ "My baby." She sobs. "Kali, I don't know what Gigi told you about us but I think we need to talk." _

_ "She told me you didn't want me. That my father gave me up so you'd be happy." I cry. It was a lie. I am more sure of this then anything. The woman hugging me obviously loved me._

_ "Kali when you were a baby you didn't even know Gigi. She showed up every few months asking to see you. Than one day, you were about eighteen months old, she demanded to take you. She'd been gone for six months you didn't even remember her. I was your mama and you were MY daughter, I loved you more than anything and I wanted to adopt you. Gigi had said she'd have you home by five. Legally Derek and I had to let her take you. But she had lied. She never brought you home." Addison tells me. Suddenly the office door opens._

_ "Hey Addie honey I…." The guy begins. Addison lets go of me. She looks at him._

_ "Derek sit down." She says softly. He obeys. I could hardly breathe this was my father. And my, in her words, mama._

_ "Hi." I say shyly._

_ "Derek this is our daughter." Addison says crying again. He studies me. _

_ "Addie are you, are you sure?" He asks. Addison takes his hand._

_ "Honey look at her. It's Kali." Addison assures him. She pulls me close to her. "Our little girl _

**_DEREK_**

_ Addison and I had had a rough patch. Okay it was more than a rough patch. After we lost Kali, after a few years of hoping, I throw myself into work. I had neglected my wife. My best friend, Kali's godfather, Mark, I was always asking him to take Addie out. He met her for Christmases, Birthdays and anniversaries. After two years of this I realize how much I missed her. But I walk in on her Mark naked together. I came to Seattle and began dating an intern. Addison shows up a few months later and somehow, we found each other again. It wasn't easy; it was the hardest thing I'd ever done. But it was so worth it. I don't know what I'd have done if I'd lost Addison too. _

_ "Hey." Meredith, the intern, says to me. "You wanna get a drink later?"_

_ "Meredith we've been through this, I am completely in love with my wife. It was wrong to use you as revenge but I can't change the past." I tell her. "Sorry." With that I go to find my wife. I loved getting out of surgery and having a cup of coffee with her. Her office light is on and the doors closed. She was probably filling out charts. Normally I'd knock but I hear crying. When I open the door a girl is wrapped in my wife's embrace. I knew before she told me. I guess I just needed it said out loud._

_ "Our little girl is back."_

_ Addison and I cancel our surgeries and let the other doctors in our department take them. The chief, an old friend, gives us a few days off. He hugs Addison and Kali and shakes my hand. Addison, Kali and I go to my office to talk. We needed to discuss something's before we made any drastic decisions. _

_ Kali tells us about what she was told. That "Matt" and "Gidget" were her birth parents and her name was Kaila. Clever they'd changed a few letters of their names so nobody could track them down. A few days ago on her fifteenth birthday her mother told her about me. It slipped she said._

_ "You look so much like Derek it's scary." Is what Gigi had said. Kali was smart as whip; I could tell right away, she wanted an explanation. Gigi had caved and told her. _

_ "Her exact words were 'Don't try and find Derek Kaila, he's married and his wife hates you. She never wanted you.' But I know it was a lie." Kali tells us as she shoots a smile at Addison. It always surprised me how much of a bond Addison had with my daughter. Kali should have been Addison's._

_ "It is a lie Kali." Addison says pulling Kali into her arms. "Gigi hated that you preferred me over her, She hated that I loved you so much and she knew I would have taken you as my own. We could have gotten full guardianship I don't know why we never tried. I'm so sorry Kali." Kali flings her arms around Addison's neck._

_ "I wish I could have grown up with you as my mother." She says. My heart swells. Something's never change. Addison and Kali could have passed for mother daughter which was even weirder. They had both had red, curly, hair. Kali had my blue eyes. She was tall, as was my wife. She looks nothing like her birth mother. _

_ "Why did Gigi even tell you about me?" Kali asks after she finishes hugging Addison. "I mean if she was going to take me."_

_ "Gigi needed money. I think she thought I'd pay her to stay away. But I wanted you so much." I explain to her. She nods. "When Gigi told me she was expecting you I had just began dating Addie."_

_ "I almost left him." Addison admits as she rubs Kali's back. "But I felt like I couldn't, I guess I knew he was the one. And then I came up to the hospital with Derek when you were just a day old. Gigi even let me hold you. I looked down at you and fell in love. I knew then that I wanted to help raise you."_

_ "So how come Gigi waited so long?" Kali asks. I try and think of an answer._

_ "Well I honestly didn't think she would come back for you." I tell her. "The first time she left you with us for a long period of time was when you were two weeks old." _

_ "We had just moved in together." Addison recalls. "I was making dinner when the doorbell rang. I was surprised to see Gigi and one of her teenagers at the door. 'Can you take Kali for the night?' she'd asked. Of course I'd said yes. She didn't come back for a week."_

_ "It kept happening like this." I add. "I still want to know why Gigi didn't just sign the damn papers." I rise and run my hand through my hair._

_ "I'm sorry." Kali says quietly. I kneel in front of her._

_ "You have nothing to be sorry for Pumpkin." I assure her. She gives me a sad smile._

_ "Kali honey does Gigi know you're here?" Addison asks. Kali shakes her head no._

_ "I didn't tell anyone I was so upset I just left. I had to find out the truth." _

_ "Der, I think we should take Kali home, she's had enough for one day." Addison suggests. I nod in agreement. Home sounded perfect._

**_ KALI_**

_ When I wake up I have no clue where I am. I start to cry. The door of the room opens and Addison comes rushing in. The memories of the previous day come flooding back. Addison runs her hand through my hair and lets me cry. I felt so tired. The clock reads 4 am. _

_ "It's okay Kali go back to sleep. I'm here. I'll stay here until you wake up." Addison sooths. It was all I needed. Before I know it I'm in a peaceful slumber._

_ When I wake up for real, my head is in Addison's lap. She's reading a book. I sit up._

_ "Morning sleeping beauty." She says with a smile. "Sleep okay?" I nod._

_ "Thanks for staying with me. Sorry if I woke you up." I reply. She pulls me into a hug. I liked getting hugs from her. Gigi didn't do hugs. I suppose that this was what people meant when they said "A mother's hug is the best medicine."_

_ "Kali you don't have to apologize okay?" Addison says. "I know you don't remember but this was how it used to be when you were little. I've missed so much of your life and I hope you'll let me be a mother to you now."_

_ "What do you mean by that?" I ask hopefully. Addison sets her book down and rises. She offers her hand and I take it. _

_She leads me to the kitchen where my father sits with his coffee and a newspaper. He looks up and smiles. I suddenly feel a pang in my chest. They never had a family to wake up too in the morning. _

_ "Morning girls." He smiles. He kisses Addison on the cheek. We sit down at the round table._

_ "Derek we should tell her." Addison tells him. He nods and faces me._

_ "Kali, I don't know what you think of us. But Addison and I love you so much. We can't bear the idea of losing you don't care what it takes but we plan on getting our family." He says. I don't hesitate to jump into his arms. He hugs me back. I reach for Addison and she joins in. It felt like my life was complete._


	3. Chapter 3

**_ADDISON_**

_ Kali and I go shopping to get her some cloths since she had only brought what she had on her. It was like we were actually mother and daughter and no time had passed. Like she had the life she actually deserved._

_ "Addison look at this one." She says showing me a sun dress. I smile and encourage her to try it on. I had to admit it was hard to hear her call me 'Addison.' She comes out of the dressing room in a yellow dress with white lace on the bottom. I nod._

_ "It's perfect." I reply. Kali was into dresses and shoes just like I was. We were a match made in heaven. I tell myself to stop thinking of all the time that's passed and think of all the time I have with my daughter now. "Let's grab some lunch Kali Bean."_

_ "Did you call me that when I was little?" She asks. I nod and smile._

_ "You were this little tiny thing. I don't know one day I said it and it stuck." I tell her. She smiles and we enter a sandwich and soup shop. She orders chicken noodle soup and I order broccoli and cheddar._

_ "No tomato today?" The lady, Brenda, behind the counter asks. "You and Mr. Shepard always get grilled cheese and tomato soup."_

_ "Our daughter is allergic to tomatoes." I say and put my arm around Kali. Brenda looks a little shocked. Probably because obviously Derek and I had never came in with a child before. As we sit down with our soups Kali looks up and smiles._

_ "What?" I ask curiously._

_ "You remembered." She replies looking down shyly. I chuckle a but._

_ "Of course I did! Rushing you to the emergency room was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me up until you went missing." I tell her._

_ "Gigi always forgot." Kali frowns. I reach for her hand._

_ "I won't."_

**_KALI_**

_ Later that night Addison tells me I should call Gigi to let her know it was okay. She said she knew how it felt to wonder if your baby was safe even though Gig was still the enemy here. The phone goes to voice mail. _

_ "Uhm hi, it's me. I'm ok. I'll try Emmy's house." I stutter into the message machine. Derek nods. I sigh and dial my sister's number._

_ "Hello." My sister says. I feel sad suddenly. My oldest sister and I were really close. I missed her._

_ "Emmy it's me." I reply. "Kali."_

_ "Kaila!?" She exclaims. "Kris it's her!" She says to her girlfriend. _

_ "Look Emmy I'm with my dad and other mom." I tell her. "Just tell Gigi I'm okay but I want to stay here."_

_ "Kali I hope you know what you're doing. I love you so much and I miss you! Please call soon." _

_ "I promise. Thanks Emmy I love you."_

**_DEREK_**

****_"The baby's here." I tell Addison. "Will you come with me to see her?" Addison nods even though I know she feels awkward. We'd been dating for eight months but I already knew she was the one for me. I was so afraid of losing her once I'd told her about the baby. But to my surprise she stayed. I had even asked her to marry me, even though everyone said it was too soon. Addison had said yes, she hadn't even hesitated._

_ When we get to the hospital we're directed to Gigi's room. Her husband and three daughters are there. It was more than a little weird and I was so glad to have Addie there. Gigi hands me our baby. She was perfect. She had my nose and mouth and eyes. She had curly strawberry blond hair. After I hold for a bit Gigi finally speaks._

_ "Do you want to hold her?" She asks Addison. To my surprise Addie smiles and nods. I slowly lower Kali into her arms. Addison is in awe, she smiles and the baby happily. "So we decided on a name."_

_ "I don't get a say?" I ask angrily. _

_ "Kali Claire Marris-Shepard." Gigi says. I gasp a little. I hadn't expected Gigi to let her have my last name at all. _

_ "You put Shepard in. And used my grandmothers name." I repy with a smile._

_ "When she turns eighteen she can drop Marris if she'd like." Gigi says._

_ When we leave Addison grabs my hand and smiles. I grin back; we didn't have to say anything because we both felt it. We had everything we could ever need in that moment. _

**_A/N more to come ASAP_**


End file.
